Participatory risk network analysis: A tool for disaster reduction practitioners

Disaster risk is the product of a complex set of networked processes. Development professionals often use participatory tools to help understand disasters. However, such tools are not designed to capture the interconnections that shape risk. Using flooding in the slums of Freetown, Sierra Leone, as a case study, this article demonstrates how the tools of network analysis can be employed to develop network maps using participatory datasets and discusses the utility of such displays in designing interventions to reduce risk. The article suggests that networked approa ches to risk analysis are uniquely suited to capturing the intricate processes that shape disaster risk and can provide a path forward for developing policies and interventions that seek to address complex phenomena. The article includes an Appendix A with instructions for those seeking to conduct participatory network analysis.